Okay, maybe I should rephrase that. We know whether the “people” we saw were hostile. Or… we have a better idea? All of this is so freakin’ confusing. I want to go back to being a mechanic. Life was easy and safe then. I knew what I was doing, I knew I wasn’t going to hurt anybody by accident.

We’re playing with fire here, and we’re not the only ones who pay if we lose. The future generations of tiny, helpless, horsebeasts will pay too. Though it’s probably for the best I don’t help with that anyway. Maybe it would be better if all the next generation had those magic horn things. I guess wings might be cool too.

FOCUS! Wasting paper and time. Should sleep, but this first. If I can keep this damn journal for a month and a half, through being transformed and having everything I cared about being taken away, I can keep a journal through this. Okay, I’m going to tell the story. For real this time.

So I got sick of sitting around and doing nothing in Bakersfield and waiting for the “HPI” to either destroy the city so we couldn’t live there anymore or track down and hurt my friends. It’s probably a reflection of some serious personal flaw that I thought the only way they stood a chance was with me there to help, but whatever. That’s me and that’s exactly the way I felt. Huan came with me to the local Home Depot, and a couple of auto shops in town. Went on hoof, so the others wouldn’t suspect what I was doing. They thought I was just going for a walk.

Despite being newer, I think Oliver suspected. He wanted to come with me (he likes walks as much as I do), but I told him no. Why? Because Joseph will be just as screwed without someone practical around as Cloudy Skies and the recovering unicorn are. I’m not sure if he realized the magnitude of what I was doing, or if he even cared. He didn’t fight me or say anything that might’ve alerted Joseph, and for that he has my respect.

Took my satellite receiver and my phone. Broke into a house with a reliable-looking SUV out front. It’s amazing how easy doors are to kick down when you’re determined. Just plant my hooves and “buck” with the back legs like I’m trying to kick over a tree. Doors don’t usually do well, and this one was no exception. Found the car keys inside, then mounted those hoof-controls for the pedals like I was in some kind of speed challenge (for Sky’s life).

Stopped at the gas station for a quick syphon from the underground tank, as well as stuffing the back with dried nuts and water bottles from inside (the easier containers had all already been looted by clever animals).

Drive down to Los Angeles was uneventful, though I felt like I might explode from the guilt of abandoning some of my friends or the worry for the ones I was going to save. How would I “save” them? I didn’t know.

In retrospect, going alone wasn’t the smartest plan of my pony career. Joseph’s probably the closest thing we have to a weapon, leaving him behind if I really intended to investigate the city was one of the stupidest things I could do.

On the other hoof, leaving him out of this meant that the rest of our extremely small community was likely to have the advantage of his help even if the worst happened to me and I was killed in the city. Sky said I was brave, Joseph said I was stupid. Oliver was just disappointed.

I could’ve stopped at the farm, but of course I knew that if it came to a fight, we’d be shot to pieces without being able to dent those stupid planes. Armored tanks and stuff couldn’t just be bucked over the way doors could. No, the only help in a fight such a tiny, useless pony as me could ever be is for information. I’m a good runner, and I know the city better than any pony. None of the others could’ve possibly done what I did.

Of course, there’s still the chance I didn’t actually do anything I think I did. I didn’t really sneak into and out of Los Angeles without being detected, they just wanted me to think I did. Maybe I’m carrying a virus that I’ve spread to the other ponies by coming into contact with them.

Instead of saving what passes for humanity in our little corner of the country, I’ll get them all poisoned.

Okay shut up okay focus okay there’s nothing I can do and that probably didn’t happen and there would be way easier ways to kill us and I don’t even feel sick[continues like this for several lines]

So the way in from Bakersfield didn’t give me any hilly overlooks for me to see the whole city. Maybe I could’ve driven to one, but I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly with this plan. Okay, I wasn’t doing anything even close to thinking clearly. Why the hell was I driving straight towards the ones who had felt so unnatural to me?

I didn’t get out of the car right away, but of course I didn’t really need an overlook to know where they would be. There are plenty of tiny airports nearby, it’s true. But if I was the one running the airships like that, I’d want the best place to land in the city: LAX.

Give me a little credit, I didn’t drive right into the airport and bang on the airplane doors with my hooves. I drove all the way to a hotel across the street, parked right in front, and scrambled to the top floor. I wasn’t in a terrible rush, not since they’d been here for days.

I’m getting stronger, or maybe just better at using my strength. Kicked the locked door to the roof clean off, like I do. Dodged past the new birds nests and air conditioners to the edge, where I could see over the roofs of neighboring buildings to the runways.

They were exactly where I thought they would be. I was far too far away to make out things like motors, though I did feel a distant emptiness I probably could’ve followed if I really wanted to. The more I feel it, the more I compare it not to terror, but just to something unfamiliar. It was the terror of the unknown.

I’d felt it before though, so I knew what to recognize. It was also much further away than the motorcade had been in Sacramento, so that might have been contributing to a decrease in my level of fear.

Whatever the reason, I was able to think clearly, scanning the city all around for signs of their activity. Both of the strange craft were parked, though only one tank had remained behind. The other two were at large, though I could not see where at the time.

I didn’t have to wait long. Granted, I’d been climbing stairs for long enough (dammit if I don’t miss elevators). Still, I hadn’t actually been looking long when I saw the convoy moving in.

They weren’t traveling very fast, perhaps thirty miles an hour. Three automated vehicles moved through the center, led by the armored personnel carrier I had seen back in Sacramento. The strange feeling I had sensed earlier seemed substantially reduced, though that was probably just a function of distance.

I was not too far away to recognize the yellow-and-black patterns along every surface of the crates the automated carriers were hauling. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to that many nuclear warnings, particularly as the vehicles drew near and passed me on their way to the airport.

Again I was filled with unnatural discomfort as they got close, but this time it was fleeting and mild. Perhaps I’m adapting to it?

The massive ship opened, and automated cargo trucks vanished inside one by one. The APC went last up the ramp, sliding inside before its twin that had waited on the tarmac for hostile invaders that never came. Engines roared to life, huge blades began to spin, and the airship took off, clearing the entire runway of dust but creating comparatively little sound for its size. Again I was struck by how silent the huge ship was as it vanished into the sky, turning eastward into the twilight.

I waited until I was sure it wouldn’t return before climbing back down to street level and driving back to our home. No way I was letting my friends come back before checking myself if it was safe. If any pony was going to be blown to a fine red paste, it was going to be me.

There were no claymores waiting for me though, at least none that I found. What I did find was the shelter in disarray. The fence around the block had been flattened by tank treads, and the door had been left swinging awkwardly open on the breeze. I shortly found the entire house had been ransacked, with drawers and cabinets dumped on the floor.

Every room had received more-or-less that treatment, though at my cursory inspection nothing seemed missing. The servers were all still in the basement, the automatic lights all still came on, and even the radio transmitter had been left alone.

There was one change; a slim box waiting on the kitchen table for me to find it. There were two things inside. The first was a note, clearly handwritten. It read:

“Survivors: We won’t leave you food, since it’s obvious you don’t need it. We need your help. We did not think any other groups had survived.

That was it. That, and what was clearly an older-style satellite phone, like the ones the military still uses (probably on their network, though I don’t know for sure). I searched the house for a good hour, but when I finally didn’t find anything, I decided it was probably as safe as it was going to get.

If they had hidden anything dangerous, they’d done a damn good job because I couldn’t find it.

Maybe we were stupid to come back. Maybe we should have turned our backs on the old base and never looked back.

Or maybe not. These guys could have searched for us. Could’ve torn up the streets, or blown up our base. They didn’t. Just left a note and flew off. You know what that says? I don’t think they want to kill us. Wish to god I knew what they did want, though. The note seems quick to say how much they need us, but less speedy to tell us why.

I didn’t turn on the phone, of course. A decision like this should be made by everybody. Tomorrow we’ll talk about it, see what everyone thinks. Personally, I think we should. Once Joseph goes over the thing to make sure it isn’t really a bomb, I’m not sure what we have to lose. It isn’t as though they don’t already know where we live, so revealing that information is hardly a danger. I guess maybe showing we’re inside, but… no. Getting paranoid again.

Tomorrow we’ll see whatever everyone thinks. So far all they’ve told me is how stupid I was for going in after this mysterious adversary with its mostly-automated vehicles. Still haven’t seen a pilot. Nor do we know what they were doing here, besides looking for us. We know those caravans didn’t come for us; there wasn’t anything missing (certainly nothing that needs to be nuclearly shielded).

Whatever. Tomorrow. Live in the moment or whatever. Not looking forward to driving back up there tomorrow and getting the medicine truck here. Got to get those fools some learning about how to drive trucks post-haste.

Uh...That... was unexpected.Well, at least we now know why there hasn't been any nuclear fallout of any kind. The stuff's all been moved. And radioactive isotopes block magic? Or does it? Or...?So what now?...?Can't imagine a harder decision to make for the little herd.

The question begs how many people are left? Unless there is statistically oddity IE something the military did and was able to protect themselves from there are unlikely more soldiers surviving than ordinary citizens. Their big advantages are preparedness. Securing nuclear materials makes sense as without power or fingers on the control, various systems will start running away with themselves

6113600 Well, if you consider the fact that the military machines are automated. Pretty much every thing in Equestria has magic, and when the ponies found something that had no magic whatsoever, it felt unnatural and disturbing, even terrifying. If there are humans, then there still would be that instinct of terror (if they also had no magic at all), but they could get over it after a while.

So, this guy is from the military. Is Captain Wright human or pony? Well, at this point, it doesn't matter. What he's doing (rightly and sensibly) is using robots to disable whatever technology that he can that is potentially dangerous if left untended for a long periods... such as nuclear power stations and the like.

Of course, a sensible, level head doesn't necessarily make this guy non-threatening. Military training could bring with it a Napoleon complex and an Enclave-like delusion that, somehow, he represents (or actually is) 'the legitimate government' and should be the one in charge. Of course, that's a worst-case scenario. He could just be a guy who had, by chance, access to the right tools and the clarity of mind to make use of them in a way that is beneficial to whatever other survivors are out there.

I think, ultimately, there is going to be no option but to contact the Captain and find out what he wants.

I had a dream about this story last night and just thought I'd share. So it starts with tensions running high amongst the group and everyone is ready to walk away. Then the magic of song activates suddenly and 'A' sings Bryan Ferry's "Cmon, let's stick together." And of course, it fixes everything.

It gets better and better. I think A and co are far too paranoid though. I think they should have risked it and made contact with the caravan, probably would have turned out better. Come on A, where is your drive to aid humanity?

The picture is also getting clearer by the chapter, love the subtlety of hints you left there. I do believe radiation almost definitely repulses magic (I think Joe knows what he is talking about and has little reason to lie about "no-magic" stuff) and we got some human survivors in there. I guess people in military bunkers/near working radiation-based equipment did not disappear and did the most sensible thing they could think of. Although I am most intrigued by

We did not think any other groups had survived.

So it seems Cpt. Wright or his superiors have quite a few people they found in different places and gathered into organized whole.

I think there is a high chance these things were piloted - while our machinery is quite advanced a full on drone control might still be a little beyond our capabilities. I would hazard a guess that these people do know that "something" (magic) permeates the air and know about transformation - that is why they are hiding inside of vehicles / sending drones around. They either had first hand experience of people being transformed or do not want to risk it. Or perhaps I am reading into it too much. Fun though!

Since I sorta know things at most a week in advance with the story (Starscribe, even more since authorness.) The comments here in the comment section make me feel a range of things from "Hee-hee~ they have no idea." to "Aww, they like my drawings." to "No! You are wrong! Go to the corner and think about what you've done." and finally somewhere along the lines of "How in the world could someone even come up with such a crazy idea?"

There's been one or two that have been right on the money, but I'm not saying which ones. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story and my artings!

Ooh, now it's getting interesting. What if this note is from a human? Perhaps the lack of magic from these vehicles is a result of shielding that stops them from being turned into ponies? Who knows? Well, I suppose Starscribe does, but we sure don't!

Curious. I think they're legit, though I can't help but see that acronym as "Human Preservation Institute," which begs the question of how they're defining "human" and "preservation." Still, that seems more like my own paranoia than anything justified in the story. At the very least, these guys seem friendly on the surface. We'll see how deep that goes, and how the ponies can help them.

So... first of all, that note's way too short. What do they need them/their help for?And if these folks are in fact humans that (if the theory about radiation negating magic is correct of course) were somehow shielded by that from whatever force caused the event... do they know that the survivors outside are ponies?Are they collecting hundreds of tons of highly radioactive stuff from all over the country to prevent disaster or for some other reason?

Now are they friendly?Doubtful: if they had only been looking for survivors they could just have called, left the note and phone when nobody answered and driven away. Flattening the fence with a tank means they were taking precautions against armed resistance. There also would have been no need whatsoever to ransack the place. "Sorry if we frightened you." How about an apology for wrecking their home; that might be considered just a little bit frightening too?

They were looking for something and I have an inkling what that might be: Moriah remembers there was something very important in her plane and that it was also very important they try and find it. Somebody else seems to be of the same opinion... why else search the house from top to bottom if you're not looking for one very specific thing but only for survivors and just want to check if they have enough food (yeah, good one)?

Ooh, I never thought that as being the meaning of the letters. Although "initiative" seems more appropriate than "institute," but if that is the case then there were humans who knew they would be turned into ponies. Why wouldn't they fell others to prepare, or perhaps -A never watched the news?

I think there are at least two humans(?) left here: the one who ordered the place ransacked, and the other who smacked that guy and left the note. The two messages just seem too different otherwise.

But, other things don't add up. (Not the least of which is our plane pony.) If they tracked the colony due to it's broadcasts, why wouldn't they send a message like the broadcasts wanted? Did they not want the survivors to know they were coming? That doesn't say good things...

I'm quite liking this , but I think you slip too easily into stuff which breaks me out of the thought that we're reading a journal as he's writing it.

[continues like this for several lines]

Who wrote this? The story didn't start with someone finding the journal and editing it to us after the fact, It's what he's writing day-to-day right? If he was editing afterwards you would just expect him just to remove the lot. It's understandable to want to skip over him going a bit loopy , but as is its like he's leaving all these weird notes

He gets to a bit he doesn't wants to talk about, so just sighs and says "Open square bracket continues like this for several lines Close square bracket"

I'm loving this story so far , it's grabbed my interest since the first chapter and so far hasn't disappointed me and instead has left me wanting more and more as well as the fact that things are getting even more interesting with these HPI guys( I don't know what to make of them ) and the possible unknown feelings that Lonely Day has for Cloudy Sky (and by that I mean that he loves her but is unaware of it and just says it's because she is his first friend during this event) it's just left me in awe at the moment, so keep up the amazing work

Ok. I have held out long enough but me gut has been telling me ever since I started reading this that A is a girl. It's always been a weird thing with me. I can actually tell what gender someone is just by looking at their writing style! The way they talk, the things they say, it all just clicks for me. And yes I have tested AND proved this ability by going onto random chats on a site called MSPARP. And like I was wrong maybe 1/15-20 times.

So, my opinion is (and you don't have to agree with it, i'm just stating what I know, not what the author knows, nor what you know, so the author is fully capable of changing the gender just because I said this) that I believe A is a girl. If a isn't I will nod my head and go "Huh. Didn't see that one coming.

Huh, now that's a twist on the HPI I didn't see coming. I'm going to go out on a limb and trust that they aren't up to anything too questionable. The ransacking of the house is a little odd, but since they didn't leave any damage other than a mess I'm guessing they were just looking for something that for some reason other survivors might have found.

6113522I actually wish the narrator was in a better place to know more about these guys. Coming from such a down-to-earth perspective kinda means that forces as big as the HPI are way over their heads. Hopefully when this story is over I get to develop them more. See if there as cool 'a dudes as I think they are.

Hah, yeah. Just depends on whether I release in the morning before bed or the afternoon after it. Generally after, but when I stay up too late... X.x

6113530^^ I told you to trust me! There are enough misanthropic stories without me writing another one.

6113581The adventure of being in a world so much bigger and more dangerous than you. Our survivors have no idea what's going on. Realistically, they might never know. Because this is a story, their changes look a little better.

There could have been pilots inside those tanks and planes. Or maybe there weren't. We just don't know at this point.

6113608I believe even the most opitimistic estimates right now place the total population as well under 10,000 total survivors. Unless the distribution isn't even, and LA was hit worse than the rest of the world.

6113734The friendly Enclave. My first playthrough of Fallout 3 I didn't notice the waypoints and I ended up wandering the wastes after leaving the vault for like 10 hours, my only company the Enclave on the radio. I was so sad to find out they were evil when I actually figured out how to play it for reals.

6113740I wish I could put that in now. I really do. Too bad I don't have the comedy tag. X.x

6113982It seems like Day isn't going to make the decision all alone, thankfully. Having other friends to weigh in probably takes some of the stress off.

6114003Quite a solid theory! In general I wanted to restrict the story to real-world technology, or technology that could exist from real-world components if only people chose to build it.

6114126If it's any consolation, the story isn't going to change to be about the HPI. It's about ponies surviving. The HPI is just another threat they have to overcome, like starvation or disease.

6114750I wrote those. The notes are intended directly for the audience, not something present in the story itself. Kindof like... look at the art that's totally here trust me it's real. In retrospect, I doubt I would make the same choice style-wise again. But it's made writing the story simpler.

6115178Thanks! With any luck, it'll stay this interesting for the rest of the story. I think it will. I'm pretty excited about the rest of the story. I guess we'll have to see if everybody else enjoys it or not.

True but they're an unnecessary threat. Something that was introduced purely to have something as a "Big Bad" in the story when there is no need for one. They take away from everything else that's been going on.

6115561That largely depends on what happens in the other stories. The main story is very nearly done; only a few chapters away from being finished. Future events (such as in the sequel, epilogue, ect), are still very much open for expansion or change. So we just have to see what happens in the side stories once the main story is done. See if people PM me about crossovers I suppose.

6115599That sounds like a safe bet. If it makes you feel any better, I've written far enough in the future that A's gender/sex is actually revealed. I didn't know if it was going to be revealed in the story, but now, sex revealed confirmed. Don't have to wait for the epilogue.

6115693The sex will be revealed one day! I know it's soon, too. It's written right now. If I posted everything I'd written, it'd be revealed. But then I wouldn't be doing daily updates anymore, so...

6115882Well, we can PUT THAT ABILITY TO THE TEST! A's sex is already known (to me), so we'll be able to see in a week or two whether or not that prediction ends up being correct.

6115896I'm sure they have a reason. The question, then, is whether the main characters will learn the reason. Guess that depends on whether they choose to contact the HPI or not.

Something that was introduced purely to have something as a "Big Bad" in the story when there is no need for one.

I think it's a little early to be deciding for me if I made an incorrect creative move, when you only have a tiny slice of the overall story. I think I made the correct choice. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think you presently have enough information to know whether I was right or wrong. Like you've assumed they're the big bad. That isn't even true, but you don't have the information to know that yet.

6115994 I ponder if 10K survivors are enough consider a number of those will die before they can get to safety or be killed by various situations. Also a percentage of those survivors will not be ponies. Then we have to consider what the spread of those surivors would be

I call them that because that's how they come across. Since they showed up every chapter has been focused on them and their actions. A and the others drop everything they're doing immediately. The HPI give the ponies a feeling of wrongness and have them running scared right off the bat. Then they track down and ransack the pony's base of operations, starting off by driving through their fence with a tank. If they had no hostile intentions, why didn't they approach neutrally rather than go for the immediate "smash through the fence and ransack" method? And they've done all this *without being* seen directly. Certainly come across as a "Big Bad" if you ask me. Not saying their the "final boss" as it were, but they're certainly a major threat out of nowhere.

Something big enough happened this chapter, that the comments section went through more than a dozen comments before someone finally resurrected the dead-horse query of "Durhhh what gender is A?" WHO. CARES!!!?!!?!?